Setting mechanism



April 14, 1959 G. R. KEI-:HN ETAL 2,881,634

SETTING MECHANISM Filed oct. 9, 195e George R. Keehn BYJohn G. Moorheadmawlwoawwg. B. n

ATTORN Ys United States Patent@ SETTING MECHANISM George R. Keehn,Washington, D.C., and John Gerald Moorhead, Silver Spring, Md.,assignors to theUnited States of America as represented by the Secretaryof the Army Application October 9, 1956, Serial No. 614,994

1 Claim. (Cl. 74-479) (Granted under Title 35, U.S. Code (1952), sec.266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by orfor the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to usof any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to an instantaneous setting mechanism and moreparticularly to a device capable of effecting any desired lineardisplacement in integer unit steps.

A principal object of this invention is to transmit any desired lineardisplacement from a displacement source.

Another object of this invention is to transmit any desired lineardisplacement, in integer unit steps, from a plurality of displacementsources, proportional to the actuation of one, all or any combination ofthe sources.

A further object of this invention is to transmit any desired lineardisplacement, in integer unit steps, from a plurality of constantdisplacement sources, proportional to the actuation of one, all, or anycombination of the sources.

A still further object of this invention is to provide novel structurein arriving at the above mentioned objects.

In general, this invention comprises a series of lineardisplacement-effecting members having equal displacements, and a systemof displacement-transmitting members connected to the series ofdisplacement-effecting members. The arrangement of the transmittingmembers relative to each other and to the displacement-effecting membersis such that integer unit displacement output is performed by thetransmitting system in response to actuation of any of the series oflinear displacement-effecting members.

The specilic nature of the invention as well as other objects, uses andadvantages thereof will clearly appear from the following descriptionand from the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary partial sectional view showing ia possiblestructural embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, a, b, c, d, e, f and g denote horizontallydisposed levers or members of progressively increased eiective lengthsbased on the series 3x, 7x, 15x, 31x, 63x, 127x and 255x. This seriescan be expressed mathematically as (2-l)x. Letting x arbitrarily equal1, and as illustrated in the drawing, relatively vertical members h, andj, k, l, m, n, o, p, and q disposed substantially perpendicular tohorizontal members a, b, c, d, e, f and g, divide the latter into theratio 1:2, 3 :4, 7:8, 15: 16, 31:32, 63:64, and 127:128, respectively.The ratio is matematically expressed as The vertical members providerelatively frictionless and substantially point contacts or couplingswith the horizontal members, as illustrated by arrows in Figure l and indetail in Figure 2. Members h are preferably equal in length, but aswill be obvious can assume any length with a corresponding altering ofspacing in the structure without hindering the functioning of themechanism. Suit- 2,881,634 v Patevanted Apr.l 14,1959

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ably secured to vertical members i, k, l, m, n, o, p and q aredisplacement-effecting means I, K, L, M, N, O, P and Q, respectively.These means preferably assume structure and function capable ofproducing equal displacements.

In Figure 2, the structure of a preferred embodiment of this inventionis disclosed in fragmentary section and is representative of thestructure of the entire preferred embodiment. A housing or casing r isconveniently provided with horizontal recesses s in which the horizontalmembers a, b, etc. may be located, and vertically extending channels orbores t in which the vertical members h and j, k, etc., may be disposed.

Each of the displacement-effecting means I, K, etc., can be an explosivemotor assembly. The motor assembly is suita'bly and immovably mounted ina relatively enlarged bore portion of casing r, as shown. A preferred emotor assem-bly may comprise a cylindrical barrel u having a bore inwhich a loosely fitted piston v is mounted for movement. Piston vcontains an explosive squib w and coaxially mounts a biased spring yencased in relatively low melting point solder. Plug z lconvenientlycloses one end of piston v and suitably seals the corresponding end ofbarrel u. The end of piston v, distal the end adjacent plug z, is spacedfrom the corresponding end of barrel u a fixed distance. For purposes ofexplanation of the embodiment shown in the drawing, it will beconvenientfor reasons which will become apparentto define this fixeddistance as 255D, where D is an arbitrary unit of length. Barrel u mayhave an opening through which vertical member j may extend in abuttingor secured relation with piston v substantially as shown.

In operation, the explosive motor assembly J may be red by any suitablemeans, as for example, by passing current through a iilament in a mannerillustrated in Figure 2. This current detonates the squi-b w whichgenerates sufficient heat to melt the low melting point lead encasingspring y. Consequently, the spring y which is suitably biased againstplug z and piston v, will urge piston v through the displacement 255D.Accordingly, vertical member j is longitudinally displaced 255D. As willbe apparent the corresponding end of horizontal member a will be raised,and member h, suitably hinged to member a, will thus be longitudinallydisplaced causing the corresponding end of member b to be raised. Theend of member a adjacent member k will be substantially unaffected bythis tiring of motor J. It can lbe seen that upon tiring a particularmotor, as for example, motor I, a series of calculated movements occurimparting a definite nal output displacement indicated in the directionof and at the enlarged arrow in Figure l.

The bores and recesses in casing r are of suflicient relative size toinsure linear longitudinal movement of the vertical members and stillpermit the desired movement of the horizontal members. The raising ofthe horizontal members will alter the point of contact of the verticalmembers with the horizontal members, but this will result in negligiblegross error in view of the contemplated minute overall displacements ofthe mechanism. Hinged connections are preferably not employed because ofthe undesirable torques that may develop. The vertical members h and j,k, etc. may be rectangular in cross section with suitably designedrecesses s.

As stated the respective lengths of the horizontal members a, b, etc.follow the series 3x, 7x, 15x, 31x, (2n-Dx. The horizontal members arethen proportioned to lengths approximating the series 2x, 4x, 8x, 16x,2x, and x, 3x, 7x, 15x, (2u-Dx. This relative proportionment of parts ofthe mechanism is preferable since integer unit output displacements areobtained with motors having equal displacements. In the particularmechanism described integer unit output displacements of zero to 255Dare possible.

The horizontal and vertical members are so designed that the output rodis pushed through a displacement called the output displacement. Ifmotor J is red, the output displacement is D; if only motor K is tired,the output displacement is 2D; and correspondingly, for the othersuccessive motors red individually the output displacements will be 4D,8D, 16D, 32D, 64D, and 128D, respectively. All of the motors, or none,or any combination of them can be tired simultaneously or at dierenttimes if desired, to give any output displacement desired with D as aunit from zero to 255D. Firing all motors will result in an outputdisplacement of 255D; tiring all the motors except .T will impart anoutput displacement of 254D, and tiring only motors I and K will give a3D output displacement. By mathematical structural analysis thecombination of motors that will give the desired displacement can beobtained. In principle, as many motors could be added as desired with acorresponding increase in horizontal and vertical members.

Altering the stroke or displacement for individual motors andlengthening or shortening individual horizontal members may result inmany variations of output displacement. By predetermined calculationsand design many output displacements can be eiected to produce manydesirable results.

The motors, are illustrated as being in line, but it will be obviousthat the necessary motor displacement can be obtained by placing themotors in several stepped 4rows or in a circle.

The mechanism of this invention can be applied to setting various timingdevices. Various machines and instruments such as computers can alsoutilize the mechanism and principles of this invention.

Numerous moto-rs employing electromagnets or tluid pressure orcompressed air can be used without departing from the spirit of thisinvention.

This application is a companion application of application S. N. 616,580filed October 17, 1956, now Patent No. 2,825,237 bythe joint inventorsof this application.

It will be apparent that the embodiments shown are only exemplary andthat various modications can be made in construction and arrangementwithin the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

A setting mechanism for obtaining a predetermined displacement of anoutput lever, said mechanism comprising: a casing; a series of steppedascending horizontal recesses having iirst and `second ends in saidcasing, each recess being in overlapping relation with respect to alower recess; a series of first vertical channels connecting the firstend of each recess with the recess immediately below; a series ofstepped, ascending ilat levers, each lever positionedvto fulcrum in arecess, the first and second ends of each lever being adjacent first andsecond ends of a recess; each lever positioned in overlapping relationwith the lever immediately below; a first series of vertical rods, eachvertical -rod disposed for vertical movement in each of said rstchannels, one end of each rod of said rst series being pivotly connectedto a lever at a predetermined distance along the length thereof, and theother end of said rst series of rods contactingy the tirst end of acorresponding overlapping lever; a series of bores in said casingpositioned below the lowermost recess of said series, a series of secondvertical channels, each channel of the second series connecting a borewith said second end of a recess, a second series of vertical rods insaid series of `second vertical channels, one end of each -rod of saidsecond series contacting said second end of a lever; a piston slidablein each bore, the other end of each rod of said second series connectedto said piston, an explosive in each bore adapted to drive itsrespective piston a predetermined distance when the explosive is tired,said levers being of such length and said first series of rods being sopositioned relative to said se-ries of levers that a predetermineddisplacement of the uppermost output lever of said series is attained byselectively exploding the explosives in `said bores.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,517,681 Lucey Dec. 2, 1924 2,179,822 Imm NOV. 14, 1939 2,481,648 DehnSept. 13, 1949 2,498,309 Svoboda Feb. 21, C

FOREIGN PATENTS 682,998 Great Britain Nov. 19, 1952 OTHER REFERENCESPublication, Product Eng. (page 122), September 1949.

